Tackling Soccer's Silent Crisis: Brain Health Support for Ex-Players

British soccer organizations may be required to help cover care costs for former players with brain injuries due to heading balls. Campaigners seek to amend the Football Governance Bill to create a funding scheme for affected players, as current support is deemed inadequate.

Soccer organizations in Britain might soon be mandated to contribute financially toward the care of former players suffering from brain conditions caused by heading balls. Proposals aimed at amending the Football Governance Bill are set to be debated in Parliament, focusing on treating these health issues as 'industrial injuries.'

Campaigners are pushing for necessary legislative changes to ensure that the soccer industry, including the Football Association and the Professional Footballers' Association, provides adequate financial support to affected players. This initiative highlights concerns over the insufficient nature of existing support structures.

The Brain Health Fund, established with a 1-million-pound grant by the PFA in collaboration with the Premier League, has faced criticism. Despite claims of assisting 121 families, campaigners, including Labour lawmaker Chris Evans, argue for increased contributions from soccer authorities, particularly in light of prominent cases like England's 1966 World Cup winners succumbing to dementia.

(With inputs from agencies.)